Exclusive Interviews

du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), showcased some of its cutting-edge innovations and solutions that are helping enterprises achieve their digital transformation objectives at the recently-concluded GITEX Technology Week. du's strategic vision is clear and that is to help customers embark upon digitalization. In an interview with Telecom Review, Fahad Al Hassawi, Deputy CEO of Telco Services at du, outlined the importance of humanizing technology so that it does not overwhelm the consumer.

Emerging technologies have given way for cities to flourish and become smarter. Modern day consumers are now enjoying the luxuries that come with residing in smart cities, especially when it comes to real-time, tailor-made services.

Huawei showcased all of its newest innovations at GITEX 2019, held in Dubai World Trade Center, where the focus was on how deeper integration of AI and the 5G ecosystem are driving the industry towards complete digital transformation. Alaa Elshimy MD & VP of Huawei Middle East was present at the event. In an interview with Telecom Review, he went into detail on some of the most advanced technologies launched at the event.

On its sixth annual event, MEF19 promises to showcase the tremendous digital transformation progress in the areas of global, cloud-centric services and related automation.  MEF 3.0, SD-WAN, Carrier Ethernet, Lifecycle Services Orchestration, 5G and Intent based networking are just some of the topics to be covered at MEF19, which will be held on 18-22 November 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Telecom Review sat down with Kevin Vachon, MEF Chief Operating Officer to get an insight into the upcoming event.

Ekow Nelson, Vice President and Head of Global Customer Unit Etisalat and Pakistan at Ericsson Middle East & Africa, takes care of Ericsson’s business with the Etisalat Group worldwide. He also has country responsibility for Pakistan, across sales, delivery, and overall customer management. His job is to focus relentlessly on customers’ strategic priorities and ambitions and to mobilize the best of Ericsson technology and capabilities for their success. Telecom Review caught up with Nelson at GITEX Technology week.

Whenever we think of the digital age, we visualize technology as an agent that transformed how humans function in the world. But the truth is that people have had more of an impact on technology than we could ever imagine. In fact, it isn’t nearly as acknowledged that it is humanity itself that shapes technology and that with every single passing day we hone and transform the role it plays in our lives. In essence, technology is very human with its purpose: to serve human needs and cater to our ever-changing habits.  It is with this realization that we can today, more than ever, begin to cast light on the human side of technology, especially in telecommunications.

Cybersecurity leader Palo Alto Networks showcased some of its latest offerings at GITEX Technology Week in Dubai, where Telecom Review sat down with Ercan Aydin, the firm’s Regional Vice President, Middle East and Africa. In the interview, Aydin talked about the cybersecurity landscape of the region and what the future of the industry holds with regards to artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics.

The MENA region is one of the most progressive regions when it comes to adopting the latest emerging technologies. For 5G adoption, it is important for it to be elevated not only as just one of the higher speed networks, but it should be more about how the region manages to adopt it and reap the benefits that come from it. It is of the essence to ensure that the money being put into the deployment of 5G, among others, is not wasted.

Atmail is an email platform solution company from Australia. With 20 years of email expertise serving telecommunications and hosting providers across every continent, Atmail currently powers more than 170 million mailboxes worldwide. In an interview with Telecom Review, Atmail’s Chief Sales Officer, Erik Jan Rijnders, explains why telcos should move their customer email platform to the cloud.

Infinet is one of the world’s largest private-owned broadband wireless access development and manufacturing companies which has time, and time again, remained a key player in the world of telecoms through incessantly reinventing itself, diversifying its supply chain with a variety of new offerings and forecasting trends and technologies in advance.